How do you know I love you?
by Acefromthebaseline
Summary: Naomi and Emily have made their grand exit from the Love Ball... but what happens now?
1. Chapter 1

'How do you know? How do you know I love you?' Naomi paused at the bottom of the college steps and turned to look quizzically into Emily's upturned face. Emily stopped mid-pace and squeezed Naomi's hand a little tighter. A cheeky grin curled across her lips.

'You took on my sister for a start,' she laughed. 'I've lived with her for seventeen years and she still scares the pants off me!'

Naomi nodded, laughing. 'I thought she was going to kill me! She would have if you hadn't turned up when you did.'

'I couldn't miss the fight of the century now, could I?' smiled Emily and Naomi smiled back. For a moment their eyes just locked and they stood there, at the bottom of the stone steps, surrounded by students screaming and laughing and oblivious to all of it. Smiling. They hadn't done a lot of that so far. Not enough anyway, but they both had the feeling that that was about to change.

'Come on then,' winked Naomi finally, swinging Emily's hand and pulling her gently in the direction of the main road. 'We'd better get a taxi. Your feet must be freezing.'

If they were, Emily hadn't noticed. A kind of glow had spread through her body the minute she had decided that she really did have the courage to break free from her twin sister. The dress came off, the shoes came off, and suddenly she was herself. Emily. Not Katie's sister. Emily. It felt good. It felt more than good. And when she looked across the hall and saw Naomi there, standing patiently, her hand outstretched, waiting for Emily to come to her, it felt fucking amazing.

Luck was on their side and a cab with its light on came by almost immediately. Naomi leaned into the front window to give her address. Then she paused a moment and turned to where Emily had opened the back door of the car to climb in. 'Ok?' she asked, in a moment of hesitation. Maybe she was moving ahead too quickly. She knew she wanted Emily to come back with her, but she hadn't exactly asked Emily. She needn't have worried. Emily gave that shy grin that melted Naomi's heart a little and nodded before jumping into the back seat and sliding across.

It was only ten minutes in the taxi but it felt like forever. They sat close together, their knees, their thighs, their shoulders touching, but something stopped them from interlacing their fingers like they had before. They didn't even talk. They just watched the dark residential streets rush by outside the windows and willed the car to move faster, time to move faster, to the moment when they could be alone together again.

As soon as the cab pulled up outside Naomi's chalet bungalow, they jumped out. Naomi quickly paid the driver and before he had had time to turn the car around and head back in the direction he had come, she and Emily were through the front door and heading up the stairs. Only a crash from the kitchen, followed by a loud 'shit' caused them to hover halfway up.

'Mum?' called Naomi.

'Oh hello, love,' called her mother from the kitchen. 'You're home early. Party no good?'

Gina came wandering into the hallway, a dustpan and brush in her hand. 'Never liked that teapot much anyway,' she said, seeing the girls' puzzled expressions. 'Hello Emily,' she added, raising a blonde eyebrow.

'Hi Gina,' said Emily quietly, suddenly self-conscious as she remembered that she was dressed mainly in her underwear.

'We're just…' began Naomi. Uncharacteristically lost for words, she gestured upstairs.

'Oh,' grinned Gina, nodding slowly from one girl to the other. 'That's great. That's really great. Well, Kieran and I are watching a movie. It's one of those loud, violent ones, you know, with guns and sirens. He likes them. Anyway, it's only just started so we'll be down here in the living room for a good couple of hours yet. Maybe longer.'

She headed back to the kitchen, then turned with something that looked suspiciously like a wink in Naomi's direction and said over her shoulder, 'There's a bottle of wine in the fridge.'

Naomi rolled her eyes and shook her head but Emily couldn't help hoping that her parents would take the news of their togetherness nearly as well. She doubted it.

The pair ran up the last few stairs and in another moment, Emily was pushing open the door of Naomi's room. Involuntarily, she paused. Suddenly the thoughts of how she had left it the last time came rushing back into her mind. How she had stood right there in the doorway, all dishevelled and dressed as Katie, heavy with the disappointment that Naomi wouldn't admit what she meant to her.

Things had changed so much in just a few days. Now she stood in the doorway and felt Naomi's arms encircle her waist from behind her. She leaned back her head and Naomi's warm breath was on her neck, and small, tender kisses just where her red hair fell onto her pale shoulder. Emily twisted her body within Naomi's arms so that they were facing each other, and wrapped her delicate hands around the back of Naomi's slender neck. She stepped back slowly, drawing Naomi into the room and letting the door swing shut behind them. They stood like that, close, in the near darkness, just breathing together, looking at each other. And smiling.

'Do you remember…' whispered Naomi, suddenly serious, and Emily gave a little start. She was lost in her own world, the world she had imagined so many times before but didn't dare hope could be real. Naomi's quick smile was indulgent, just as if she knew. 'Do you remember… at the lake…'

'Oh yes,' Emily raised an eyebrow cheekily.

'Not that,' grinned Naomi, squeezing Emily's waist tighter. 'You know, after, when I, when I… went.'

Emily nodded silently, her deep brown eyes still fixed on Naomi's clear blue ones.

Naomi continued in a small voice. 'You stood there, under the tree, and you said that I had to be brave. And it was weird because I wanted to be brave, I really did, but I just wasn't. Not brave enough anyway. But tonight I felt _so_ brave. I just wanted to go in there and grab you and bring you back here. With me.'

Tears pricked Emily's eyes. 'You did,' she whispered hoarsely. 'You did bring me back and now I'm here. With you.' She rose herself up on her tiptoes and lifted her mouth to Naomi's in a soft, slow kiss.

'Yeah,' murmured Naomi thoughtfully as they broke away.

'You made yourself brave,' whispered Emily, pushing away a strand of Naomi's white-blonde hair and gently holding her face, ready to kiss her again. 'And that's how I know you love me.'


	2. Chapter 2

'Naomi. I know what you're doing.' Emily's voice was quiet in the semi-darkness, but Naomi could tell there was a smile in it. She lifted her head from where it had lain nestled into Emily's shoulder and propped herself up on her elbow, making a dent in the pillow they were sharing. Her fingertips still caressed Emily's thigh among the tangle of their legs under the duvet, lightly tracing the words 'I love you' on Emily's soft skin.

A bemused frown crossed Naomi's brow as she looked into Emily's sparkling eyes. 'I know I've told you like a hundred times in the past two hours, but I want to keep on telling you. I just can't help it.'

Naomi really couldn't help it. She had spent so long resisting, resisting, resisting that when she had finally given in to the temptation of Emily it was as if all her feelings had come spilling out at once. She had surprised herself with the intensity of the emotion she felt for Emily, and just how much she discovered she wanted her. No, she _needed_ her. But when she thought about it, rationalised it, that was the way she was. She was an all or nothing sort of a girl, and when it came to Emily she knew now that it had to be all.

But neither of them was complaining. If Naomi had told Emily she loved her a hundred times that evening then Emily had said the same at least as many times. She had said it as she had undone the zip of Naomi's prom dress and smoothed her hands between the plaid fabric and Naomi's warm body, letting the dress drop to the floor. She had said it as their mouths had met and their longing for each other had turned their kisses into an all-consuming quest to own each other, be owned by each other. She had said it as they had tumbled into Naomi's bed, melting themselves into each other. She had said it as they had been together like they never had before, taking their time, holding so close and sensing each other on a deep, unfathomable level that neither knew they had. And she had said it countless times in between.

'Don't stop,' said Emily. 'It's nice.' She felt again Naomi's varnished nails gently brush her thigh and her grin widened as Naomi leant her face to hers. Naomi murmured 'I' just before their lips touched in a small, soft, sweet kiss. 'Love.' Kiss. 'You.' Naomi raised her mouth and dropped a light kiss on Emily's nose before returning her head to Emily's shoulder. Emily curled her skinny arm around Naomi and stroked her tousled blonde hair tenderly.

It made everything very different, somehow. Of course, Emily had known that she loved Naomi right from the start. But knowing that Naomi felt the same way brought a feeling of comfortable reassurance that had taken Emily completely by surprise. No longer did she have to worry that she was hoping too much, worry that she was pushing Naomi too far, worry that Naomi might run away. Again. In fact, as she lay there, naked, in Naomi's bed, with Naomi's gentle breath on her chest, it was hard to remember that there was anything to worry about at all.

A loud beep from Emily's phone soon put paid to that idea though. 'Uh-oh,' said Naomi as Emily reached out a hand to the bedside table. She flipped open the phone and read the curt message. It was from Katie. 'u k ems?' was all it said. Emily smiled. Katie wasn't all bad. 'yh thx. c u 2moz. tell m&d' she replied swiftly before switching the phone off and dropping it back on the table.

Naomi blinked. 'You're not going to leave it to Katie are you? You know, to tell them. About you and me?'

'No,' said Emily quickly. 'I meant tell them I'll see them tomorrow.'

'Ems,' said Naomi, lifting herself onto her elbow again, 'it didn't sound like that.'

Emily sighed, 'Oh well, it's sent now.' They settled down together again but there was an uneasy silence between them for a moment.

'Do you really think they're going to take it _that_ badly?' asked Naomi quietly.

'Mmm,' replied Emily. 'They're going to take it _that_ badly. If not worse.'

'I mean,' continued Naomi, 'it's not as if they don't already know, is it?'

'You haven't really met my parents, have you?' laughed Emily, wryly. 'They'll pretend they don't know because they don't want to know. That's the way they are.'

'I wish there was something we could do to make them understand. Is there?' Naomi wondered aloud, looking up at Emily's anxious face.

Emily shook her head and began to stroke Naomi's hair again. Her heart swelled with the thought that Naomi really wanted them to face the Fearsome Fitches together and not for the first time she found herself taken aback by Naomi's sweetness. After all, it was a trait she kept very well hidden.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to Naomi's hair, wishing that this night could go on forever. Naomi's head was already getting heavy on her shoulder, her breathing shallow and slow, though her fingertips still played lazily on Emily's leg, barely touching, but sending a delicious tingle through Emily's body and a contented sigh to her lips. Tonight, thanks to Naomi's bravery, they could spend like this, wrapped together in the dark and their love for each other. Tomorrow Emily would get the chance to show just how brave she could be.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily. Naomi opened her eyes slowly and sighed at the sight of her creamy back rising and falling with a gentle rhythm and knew she wanted so much to touch it, stroke it, make sure that it was real. But Emily's face, her delicate profile highlighted by the watery early morning sun, was so sweet and peaceful that Naomi didn't have the heart to disturb her. Instead, she lifted her hand to the glow of Emily's red hair spread out on the pillow next to her and let its soft strands slip silkily between her fingers.

She blinked back the memory of an early morning not so long ago when she had struggled to talk herself out of the temptation to touch Emily's red hair, her creamy back and her sweet, peaceful face. Now, she wondered why on earth she had fought so hard. In fact, why she had fought at all. This morning there was nothing that would tempt her to leave this bed and this sleeping figure in it. Nothing in all the world.

Almost as if she had read Naomi's mind, Emily shifted her slight shoulder under the duvet and her hand flailed out behind her, reaching out. Reaching out for Naomi. Naomi smiled to herself and gently closed her own hand over Emily's, lifting it to her lips in a soft kiss and laying it against her face.

Emily. Naomi thought to herself, my Emily. Not the quiet, mousey, downtrodden Emily who the Fitches thought they knew so well, but the funny, confident, cheeky Ems who had kissed her at Pandora's party, pursued her with grim determination, and finally, finally had won Naomi over, just by being her completely, totally adorable self.

She kissed the palm of Emily's hand and then rolled herself a little closer to the girl who was breathing softly next to her. She curved her arm over Emily's body, gently pressing her own into the crook of Emily's back, legs, knees. They fitted like that so well together, so neatly. So right. Naomi skimmed Emily's shoulder with her lips and felt Emily's fingers squeeze hers for just a fraction of a second. Naomi grinned dreamily, her eyes closing, as she let the rise and fall of Emily's body lull her into a deliciously deep, comfortable sleep.

* * *

It didn't take Emily more than a moment to remember where she was and why she was there, but that may well have been because she awoke to find herself wrapped up in Naomi. She grinned to herself and hugged her free arm around the one of Naomi's that still held her body tightly, their fingers still intertwined.

Of course, they had woken up like this before, together, but only once and that was in a tent. With JJ. Not the most romantic of mornings. Then, they had got up quickly, keen to avoid being seen and having to explain themselves when, really, they weren't quite ready. Then.

Now Emily felt Naomi stir behind her and she loosened Naomi's hold so that she could roll over. 'Good morning,' she beamed, their faces suddenly so close together on the pillow that their noses nearly touched. Naomi smiled, her eyes barely open, and put up her mouth for a first, lazy kiss.

'Oh,' said Naomi, suddenly wide awake and frowning, 'I was having this really weird dream.' She paused, looking warily at Emily. 'You're not going to like it.'

Emily rolled her eyes, smiling. 'You'll have to tell me now anyway.'

Naomi frowned again, remembering. 'We were sitting in the kitchen at your house, and we were trying to explain to your mum and dad, you know, about us,' started Naomi. 'They were getting really mad…'

'So far, so believable,' said Emily, nodding.

'Then,' Naomi went on, 'your brother came into the room and he said "Leave them alone, they belong together". And that's when he got out the machine gun and shot them.'

'What?!' exploded Emily, laughing. 'I don't think even James would do that. Though if he left any sort of weapon lying around I can't say I wouldn't be tempted to use it on _him_.' She thought for a moment before adding, 'Katie would, definitely.'

'I said you wouldn't like it,' said Naomi, smiling. 'It _is_ weird though isn't it? Why do you think I'd dream that?'

'God, I don't know,' said Emily, giving Naomi a sideways look, 'it seems a bit… extreme.'

Naomi laughed. 'You think now that I'm going to go round to your house and annihilate your family, just so I can have you all to myself?'

'Well,' said Emily, giggling. 'It would be worth it. You might get forty years in prison, but I'd wait for you.'

Naomi planted a kiss on Emily's upturned mouth. 'Thanks,' she said.

'No,' said Emily, thoughtfully, 'I think we can safely say that my parents are not getting out of the way that easily.'

Naomi bit her bottom lip. 'You're right, they're not going anywhere are they? In reality, I mean,' she said, tightening her arms around Emily and pulling her closer. 'So there isn't really any rush to go and see them, is there? I mean, maybe this afternoon… this evening. Maybe tomorrow…?'

'…Maybe ten years' time when I've got a job, a flat and live in Australia,' added Emily. They both giggled. 'I think we can keep them waiting a bit longer,' she said, stroking Naomi's face with her hand then running her fingers through her blonde hair, drawing Naomi's head even nearer to hers before landing a soft, deep kiss on Naomi's mouth and adding, quietly, '…maybe quite a lot longer.'


	4. Chapter 4

Having a shower, not to mention getting dry, seemed to take a while and by the time they had wrapped themselves in the soft towels that Gina had thoughtfully left for them, their hair was hardly wet. Emily followed Naomi as they tiptoed across the landing, trying not to giggle, and fell through the door to Naomi's room again. Emily clicked it shut carefully behind her and turned to see Naomi perched on the edge of the bed, her towel loosening carelessly around her as she pushed her fingers through her damp blonde hair. Emily leant back against the door, transfixed.

'God, Naomi,' she uttered, not taking her eyes off her, 'you're so fucking beautiful.'

Naomi dropped her hands in her lap and bit her bottom lip in a self-conscious smile. No-one had ever said that to her before and she felt a mix of elation and embarrassment and also a touch of pride that the most beautiful girl she had ever seen in her life thought she was beautiful too.

'Shut up,' she said, grinning broadly, but shaking her head and rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.

'No,' said Emily, seriously. 'You are.'

'Come over here then,' said Naomi cheekily, putting out her hand to Emily, just like she had the night before at the Love Ball.

The memory was not lost on Emily and she skipped across the room and slid the palm of her hand against Naomi's, weaving her fingers with hers and clasping them tightly. Naomi steered Emily between her knees, shaping her other hand against the roundness of Emily's behind and drawing her towards her. She gently pinched at Emily's towel and it had the desired effect of freeing it from where it was tucked under Emily's arms and sending it slipping into a pile on the floor.

Emily raised her eyebrows and looked down at Naomi, but Naomi was too busy to notice. Her eyes were following intently as her fingertips travelled gently across Emily's delicate body, tracing the soft outline of her hip, the slight curve of her stomach and the flatness below it.

The sight of Naomi taking such a delight in her gave Emily a glow of satisfaction. She laid her free hand on Naomi's smooth shoulder blade and Naomi looked up, shaking her head slowly. 'God, Ems,' she breathed, breaking into a wide smile, 'you're so fucking beautiful.'

Emily giggled, running her hand along Naomi's shoulder, wrapping it around the back of her damp head and clasping Naomi's face to her body. Naomi gave a muffled giggle herself and opened her mouth to cover Emily's tummy in soft kisses.

'Oh,' groaned Emily, happily, 'don't _do_ that. You know what it does to me.'

'Yeah,' replied Naomi, not stopping, 'why do you think I'm doing it?'

Emily ran her hand through Naomi's hair, indulging herself in the moment, before forcing herself to take a small step backwards. Naomi looked up as Emily's body was taken away from her.

'Hey,' she pouted unconvincingly, squeezing the hand that still had Emily's clasped tightly in it. 'I was enjoying that.'

'Me too, but this isn't going to get the Fitches dealt with, is it?' Emily scolded, smiling.

'Ems, I thought we sorted that out?' sighed Naomi. 'You, me, James and a machine gun. It's the only way.'

'Come on,' said Emily, pulling a reluctant Naomi to her feet. 'I'm going to need clothes, I'm going to need shoes, I'm going to need something to take my mind off you in half a towel… I can see today is not going to be easy. In so many ways.'

Naomi led Emily towards her wardrobe, letting her towel drop to the floor. Deliberately.

'Not helping, Naomi,' said Emily, shaking her head as she put her hand up to shield her eyes from the sight of Naomi's slender body.

'I'm not sure what I've got in here to fit you,' said Naomi, opening the wardrobe door and rifling through the hangers. 'I'm thinking, probably nothing.'

'Great,' said Emily sarcastically. 'I'll wear nothing.'

'Suits me,' replied Naomi, with a grin, but emerging with a black t-shirt, which she handed to Emily. 'Think I wore that when I was 14. I was going through my goth stage.'

Emily burst out laughing. 'Goth stage? You?' she asked incredulously.

'People change,' said Naomi, defensively.

'Thank fuck they do,' said Emily, 'otherwise I wouldn't be here with you.'

'Ems,' said Naomi, spinning round and taking Emily by surprise by grabbing her body tightly round the middle. She looked down into Emily's wide eyes. 'I haven't changed. Not really. Grown up a bit perhaps. Learnt a few things. Quite a few things actually.' She paused and shrugged. 'It's all good, right?'

'Oh yes,' replied Emily, leaning in to Naomi and lengthening her neck to kiss her reassuringly on the cheek, 'it's all good.'

Naomi smiled. 'Hmm,' she said, smugly. '_I_ think so.'

Emily held up the t-shirt against her body. 'This might fit,' she said, 'I'll put it on.'

But Naomi suddenly raised the circle of her arms from Emily's waist to her upper body, gently pinning Emily's arms to her sides and bringing her even closer. Emily gasped. Dropping the t-shirt, she looked up, quizzically.

'On second thoughts,' whispered Naomi, smiling wickedly as she pressed her mouth to Emily's and their lips began to move slowly and firmly against each other. 'Don't.'


	5. Chapter 5

'I was beginning to think you two were never coming downstairs,' said Gina, smirking faintly over the top of the newspaper she was reading at the kitchen table.

Emily shot a self-conscious look at Naomi and noticed for the first time ever that she was starting to blush, the red creeping up the pale skin of her neck and threatening to cover her cheeks. 'We, er, overslept,' Naomi muttered, hurriedly, turning away from her mother to pull open the fridge door. 'Juice?' she asked Emily, pointedly.

'Please,' replied Emily quietly, hovering in the doorway.

'That's what weekends are for,' laughed Gina, turning a page she hadn't read. 'Oversleeping, of course,' she added, nodding seriously, although the smirk still lurked on her face. She folded the paper and laid it on the table. 'Come and sit down Emily,' she said warmly.

'Toast?' Naomi studiously ignored her mother and looked directly at Emily, who nodded in reply as Gina eyed her with interest.

'Haven't seen that t-shirt in a while Naomi,' she said, turning to her daughter, who seemed to be concentrating unnecessarily hard on getting slices of bread out of the packet and shoving them into the toaster. 'I remember a time when I couldn't get you out of that one. I had to prise it off you to wash it, do you remember? That was your goth stage wasn't it love?' Gina laughed and then looked conspiratorially at Emily. 'She looked so cute all in black!'

'Mum!' warned Naomi through gritted teeth as she slammed a knife down onto the worksurface. She risked a look over her shoulder and saw that Emily had joined Gina at the table and that they were both trying, and failing, to suppress a smile.

'Haven't you got stuff to do today, Mum?' Naomi glared in the direction of her mother, slapping two plates of toast on the table and pushing one towards Emily. She pulled out a chair and dropped into it heavily.

'Yes, I have,' said Gina patiently, 'later on.'

'How _much_ later?' Naomi glared again. But Gina just smiled as she had a thousand times before, seemingly oblivious to Naomi's tone, then lifted an eyebrow as she heard a key turn in the lock of the front door. Naomi's toast-filled mouth fell open, as if she was about to say something, but before any words came out, she quickly shut it again.

'Normal service is restored,' called Kieran cheerily from the hallway. There was the sound of him taking off his jacket and throwing it carelessly over the banister, before his scruffy shape shambled through the kitchen doorway.

'Ah, good _morning_,' he said slowly, glancing from one girl to the other. 'I was beginning to think you two were never coming downstairs.'

'Hmm,' Naomi grunted, ignoring Kieran and narrowing her eyes at her mother, who just smiled sweetly back.

'Kieran's been shopping,' announced Gina, rising from the table and stepping across the room to plant a kiss on his unshaven cheek. 'Haven't you love?'

'I have indeed,' he said, carefully placing a carrier bag on the battered pine kitchen table and standing back to admire it. 'And I think you'll be very happy with my purchase, if I do say so myself.'

Gina excitedly opened the bag and from the packing paper produced a blue and white spot teapot. 'Oh, that's perfect, Kieran,' she said, kissing him again, and at the same time shooting an expectant glance at Naomi. 'Much better than the old one.'

Kieran smiled smugly. 'I thought you'd approve. Let's give it a test drive, shall we? What do you say to a nice cup of tea to christen the pot, girls?'

'No!' said Naomi, quickly. 'I mean, we don't do want one. Do we Ems?'

Emily paused mid-chew in confusion, but shook her head loyally nevertheless as she felt Naomi's bare foot on her own under the table. Naomi scooped up her plate and stood up. 'Come on, let's take this into the living room and watch a DVD.'

'All right, then,' chirped Kieran, winking at Gina, 'two for tea. I'll put the kettle on and make us a sandwich. It is lunchtime after all. For _some_ people anyway.'

Naomi rolled her eyes and moved to leave the room, but before she had had a chance to reach the door, Gina put out her hand and rested it on her daughter's arm, stopping her. 'I realise I should have talked to you about Kieran having a key,' she said softly enough that Kieran, his head in the fridge, couldn't hear. 'Are you okay with it love?'

Naomi frowned at her mother for a long moment. Then she caught sight of Emily, who was standing up from the table and attempting to carry both half-full glasses of juice and her own plate in her small hands. Naomi smiled indulgently and took Emily's plate from her. Emily grinned back and their eyes locked, comfortably.

'Why wouldn't I be?' Naomi asked by way of reply, more than a little distractedly.

'Oh.' There was a note of surprise in Gina's voice. 'Well, that's great then. I just wanted to check, you know.'

'I know,' Naomi nodded thoughtfully, flashing a shy smile at her mother for the first time that day as she let Emily leave the room in front of her. 'Don't worry Mum. It's all good.'


	6. Chapter 6

Emily's key hovered in the lock of her own front door. 'Got to do it, Ems,' said Naomi encouragingly from right behind her, squeezing her hand tighter. In fact, she had held Emily's hand pretty tightly all the way from her house to Emily's, having refused point blank to let Emily face the Fitches alone.

The latch clicked and Emily pushed the door open. The pair stepped gingerly into the hallway of the Fitches' house, both holding their breath. All was quiet, although lights were on everywhere. Naomi shot a questioning glance at Emily and she shrugged, pointing to the door of the kitchen, which was closed. They headed towards it.

The sounds of crockery clinking, conversation and Michael Buble grew louder the closer they got. 'Shit,' said Emily, 'they're having a dinner party. I forgot.'

'Great,' hissed Naomi. 'What do we do now?'

They stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at each other. The last thing they wanted was an audience. The thought crossed Emily's mind that she could just sneak upstairs to her room, pack a bag and be out again in less than two minutes.

Naomi was ahead of her. 'Oh no, Ems,' she shook her head. 'We're here now. Got to do it.'

Emily rolled her eyes and put her hand out to grasp the kitchen door handle, but before she had had a chance to touch it, the door was flung open from the inside and the physique that was Rob Fitch cannoned straight into her.

'Emily!' he exclaimed.

'Dad,' murmured Emily, flatly.

'I was just saying to your mother, I hope our Emily turns up sometime soon, otherwise our Katie'll be stealing her wardrobe space,' he said loudly and jovially, while shooting an angry look at Emily. He put his head round the door and into the kitchen. 'Back in just a moment with that bottle of red I promised you, Keith. You won't be disappointed! Jenna,' he called, his tone becoming much more meaningful. 'Emily's here.'

A moment later Emily's mother hurried through the doorway, closing the door deliberately behind her. 'Where have you _been_?' she whispered, anxiously, putting an arm around Emily's shoulders. 'I was really worried when Katie said you'd left the party early and she didn't know where you were.'

'I'm fine, Mum,' said Emily irritably, shaking off her mother's over-effusive hugging, but also breathing a silent sigh of relief. Katie hadn't filled her parents in on the events of the Love Ball. No, she wasn't so bad.

'And then later,' continued her mother, 'she said you'd left with someone and you'd texted to say you'd be spending the night with them. So I was even more worried.'

'"That's not like our Emily," we thought to ourselves, didn't we love?' said Rob, trying to suppress the anger that was bubbling ever closer to the surface.

'It's ok,' said Emily quietly. 'I was with Naomi.' She turned to the girl standing next to her, whose hand she was still holding, and smiled.

'Hi,' said Naomi, self-consciously, raising her free hand in a half-wave.

Rob looked briefly at Naomi before fixing Emily with an irate look. 'Well, a phone call would have been nice,' he said, 'but perhaps that's too much to expect?'

Emily's mother though was still staring at Naomi. And staring at the hand she was clasping tightly. Her daughter's hand.

'Naomi,' she said, thoughtfully. 'I wasn't really expecting to see you here. Again.'

'Yes, well,' snapped Emily suddenly, 'you made her so welcome the first time, Mum.'

'That doesn't matter now,' interrupted Naomi quickly, meeting Jenna's gaze.

'No,' said Jenna calmly. 'I can see our chat didn't really make any difference at all, did it?'

'You're right,' Naomi agreed defiantly.

'Hang on a minute,' Rob frowned. 'Have I missed something here?'

He looked between his wife and Naomi and it was then that he noticed Emily's hand. In Naomi's. The penny dropped. Visibly.

'Naomi…' he said slowly. 'I thought that name rang a bell.'

Naomi's pale blue eyes fixed Rob Fitch with a sulky stare that her own mother was very familiar with.

'Yes,' said Emily, speaking fast, remembering the last time she had mentioned Naomi in this house and her father's reaction. 'Dad, this is Naomi... I told you she was beautiful, didn't I?'

'You did, Emily,' said her father, absently, still looking from Naomi to Emily and to their hands pressed tightly together. 'And you told me a lot more I didn't really need to know besides.'

'Well,' said Emily, quietly but undaunted. 'We wanted to come to tell you… to tell you…' She looked at her parents, their uneasy, expectant faces. She looked at Naomi, smiling, willing her on. Squeezing her hand. 'The fact is… well, we're together,' she said definitely. 'I love her, she loves me.' She shrugged. 'That's it really.'

'That's it?' asked Rob, his eyes wide. 'That's it? Oh, that's it, is it?'

His face was thunderous. Emily winced. Jenna winced. Naomi tutted and shook her head. 'Shit,' they all thought in unison.


	7. Chapter 7

Emily looked steadily at her father. 'Yes,' she said slowly, calmly. Bravely. 'That's it.' She glanced at Naomi. 'I love her, she loves me. That's it.'

Naomi nodded at Emily. She couldn't stop herself smiling warmly at her. In spite of Emily's parents, very warmly. 'That's it all right,' Naomi agreed, her thumb gently stroking the back of Emily's hand, which was still clasped tightly in her own.

Emily nodded, meeting Naomi's gaze, her mind transported somewhere else. Entirely. 'Mmm.'

Rob Fitch was still staring from one girl to the other, a fixed and rather threatening grin on his face that belied the fact that his brain was running through a choice of possible reactions and not settling on one. Jenna stared at him, wide-eyed, already beginning to flinch from what she worried might be coming next. But, before Rob himself knew what might be coming next, Naomi cut in.

'The thing is, Rob… can I call you Rob?' she asked levelly. It was her turn now. Emily was right, they were together, and this was what being together sometimes meant, she realised. Rob Fitch looked taken aback, but he nodded silently and raised his eyebrows at his wife. 'We're not here asking for your approval, _Rob_, because, well, we don't really need that do we? We just want to tell you, so that you know. Ems wants you to know and I want you to know and that's basically why we're here. So now you know, we'll go. And leave you to your dinner party. Come on Ems.'

Naomi pulled on Emily's hand and Emily turned slowly with her in the direction of the front door. But before taking a step, she looked back forlornly at her parents, saying quietly, 'I'll just go and get some of my stuff and I'll be at Naomi's for a while, until, well…'

It was then that Jenna's expression of annoyance and bewilderment suddenly melted, into the fearful, anxious face of a mother who was about to watch her daughter leave home, perhaps for the last time, who knew? You read about this sort of thing in the papers, and worse, she thought. That couldn't happen to her, and her Emily. Could it?

'We don't have to leave things like this, do we Rob?' Jenna asked quickly, her eyes searching her husband's first, then Emily's. 'You don't have to go away from us, Ems, you know that. Doesn't she Rob?'

'Well,' Rob breathed in a long, deep breath, expanding his muscled chest as far as it would go and then exhaling with a long sigh. The girls paused where they stood, both faces turned to him. Waiting.

'The trouble is,' he started, stroking his chin thoughtfully, 'and I'd be the first to say it, the very first, I'm the _traditional_ type, you know? Eggs and bacon. Cheese and pickle. _Men and women_. Those are the sort of things that go together. _In my opinion._ You know where you are with them. But, and I'm surprising myself here, aren't I love?' Jenna nodded automatically, pursing her lips. 'I can see that you two get along together and that there's more to it than that. Yes, more to it.' Rob paused and looked at them for a long moment, considering them with his deep brown eyes. Emily's deep brown eyes.

Emily looked back, aware that her own expression was frozen in shock. She darted a glance at her mother, who was also dumbstruck. Their gazes met in a shared moment of incredulity. For a horrible second, they both thought that surely this must be a joke. A Rob Fitch joke. So, one that wasn't very funny.

Rob caught their reaction. 'I'm not some great ogre, you know,' he said suddenly defensive, and a little offended. 'You don't get to my age without knowing a thing or two about love, do you love?'

'No, Rob,' muttered Jenna, on cue.

'Well, seeing as how you've come here and you've explained yourselves and it's not been easy for you, I appreciate that, I'm prepared to be a little bit flexible, a little bit, shall we say, _modern_ about this.' Rob looked from one girl to the other and took in their expectant faces.

'But, I'm going to have to warn you… _Naomi,_' he pronounced her name slowly and very clearly and stared Naomi so piercingly in the eyes that she felt she had no option but to give him an equally piercing stare back. 'My little girls, and my lad of course, they're the most important things in the world to me. Apart from my gorgeous wife, that is,' Rob glanced at Jenna with a smile that floated on the outskirts of sickly. 'So I'm trusting you… _Naomi_… I'm trusting _you_ with one of the most precious things in my life, my Emily. So, you look after her. Otherwise, well, I might decide I'm not quite so _modern_ after all.'

He flashed Naomi a grin, that, although it was over in a second, was heavy with a menace that far outweighed the indulgent smile that followed it. Naomi smiled back. Genuinely. Because in that moment it dawned on her that she and Rob Fitch were on the same wavelength. Jenna too. Kind of. They all cared a lot about Emily, anyway, and that was really the only thing that mattered.

Rob stooped forward and kissed his daughter gently on the cheek. Emily grinned as Jenna then quickly threw her arms around her, putting her mouth close to Emily's ear. 'It's nice to see you happy,' she whispered.

Eyeing Naomi uncertainly, Rob finally settled on sticking out his large hand and offering a firm handshake, which Naomi accepted in surprise. Jenna waved nervously and gave a weak smile

'I'll just go and get a bag then,' said Emily, visibly relieved but still hanging on tightly to Naomi's hand. Then she added swiftly, 'Just for the weekend. I'll be back on Monday.'

Jenna smiled and nodded gratefully, rubbing Emily's shoulder.

'Keith'll be baying for his wine,' said Rob, suddenly remembering. 'I'll fetch it from the garage.'

'Oh no,' moaned Jenna, 'and I've left the gratin in the oven. It'll be a crisp.'

Naomi laughed and then looked at Emily, embarrassed, as they began to head up the stairs towards the room Emily shared with Katie. They paused on the landing and heard Jenna wailing from the kitchen about the state of her potatoes and Rob declaring that he had in his hand the best bottle of wine ever corked.

A small, relieved smile spread across Emily's face as, with a deep sigh, she allowed her body to let go of all the tension it had held since they had first arrived and instead be gathered into Naomi's arms.

'It's ok,' Naomi whispered into Emily's hair, nodding despite the note of bewilderment in her voice. 'It's ok.'

Emily lifted her head from Naomi's shoulder and looked up into her smiling face. 'I can't believe it. They took it so well. Because of you, I'm sure.'

'Don't know about that,' said Naomi modestly. 'You were pretty brave yourself. I specially liked the bit when you told them you love me and I love you. I didn't know you were going to say that.'

'Yeah, well,' said Emily, resignedly. 'I thought I may as well get it all out there.'

Naomi giggled. 'I think we struck them down with our love,' she said putting on a wistfully romantic tone, squeezing Emily tighter and rocking her back on her heels.

Emily giggled too. 'I think I prefer that to the machine gun idea.'

'Yeah,' agreed Naomi, nodding and putting a light kiss on Emily's lips. And then another. And another. 'Me too.'


	8. Chapter 8

It was so obviously Emily's bed. Not Katie's at all. Emily's. The duvet was crumpled a bit but flattened out across the single mattress and a whole pile of pillows was arranged just so against the headboard. Katie's bed, across the room, meanwhile was an untidy tangle of duvet, pillows and various cushions. Even clothes were swept up in it, like a mini-cyclone. Why some people assumed the twins were anything like each other apart from in looks, Naomi didn't know.

Emily's side of the room was personalised with posters of attractive women, carefully arranged and Blu-tacked to the wall next to it, near enough that you could probably still make them out in the semi-darkness, Naomi noted with a smirk as she settled herself on Emily's duvet, waiting for her to come back from the bathroom with her toothbrush. She leant back against Emily's pillows and stretched out her legs on Emily's bed. It was strange that they had known each other for so long but, while Emily was more than familiar with Naomi's room, this was the first time Naomi had ever set foot in Emily's.

But it was Katie's room too, of course, and on the opposite wall, in Katie's domain, was her display of fit, but Naomi though to herself, frankly not very bright-looking, men. Chewing on her lip, Naomi took in the girls' collections and saw the relative merits of both. Suddenly coming over a little uncomfortable, she fidgeted slightly on Emily's pillows and it was then that she heard a crumpling sound. Lifting a pillow she was surprised to see there one of the posters that Emily had made for Naomi's election campaign as president of the college student council. Naomi looked at it and laughed quietly to herself. So this was Emily's night-time reading! Elle McPherson, eat your heart out, she thought smugly to herself.

Just then the door clicked open and Emily wandered in, a make-up bag in her hand. 'So this is what you like to read in bed, is it?' asked Naomi cheekily, holding up the poster, emblazoned with her own face.

'Oh,' said Emily, her cheeks colouring slightly as she knelt on the end of her bed and stuffed a handful of things into her bag. 'You found that then?'

'I did!' Naomi replied, enjoying Emily's embarrassment. 'It's good to know I'm in your thoughts.'

Emily hastily crammed a top into her bag, zipped it up and then pushed it on to the floor as she made her way up the bed on her knees, either side of Naomi's outstretched legs. Then she stopped, sat back on Naomi's thighs and reached out her hands to grab Naomi's, pinning them playfully to the headboard behind her, a cheeky grin on her face.

'See?' Emily laughed, 'you shouldn't go looking under people's pillows, you don't know what you might find.'

Naomi giggled. 'What else have you got hiding there that you don't want me to see? You haven't been stealing my underwear have you?'

'No!' giggled Emily indignantly.

Still laughing, they looked at each other for a moment. Emily's face was still flushed, partly from embarrassment and partly from the realisation that, yes, she had to admit that she had thought of Naomi here. Often. And now here Naomi was, in reality. Somehow that thought was a little too much to bear. Naomi meanwhile was imagining Emily tucked up in this very bed, thinking of her. It made her want to lean forward, open her mouth and give Emily a very deep kiss. So she did. Emily responded enthusiastically, her own hands tightening on Naomi's as she closed the gap between their bodies and offered up her mouth.

Emily's weight on her thighs made Naomi feel very much like freeing one of her hands and sliding it up inside Emily's top, actually her top, and lifting it over Emily's head. So she did. Emily grinned as she let Naomi take off the black t-shirt and drop it to the floor before attacking her mouth again and running her hands over the smooth skin of Emily's soft, bare back and shoulders and slipping them under the straps of her bra.

Emily's hands quickly caught up, expertly making their way under Naomi's striped top, quickly gathering it over her blonde head and throwing it to the floor to join her own. When their lips met again, their kissing was a little more heated and much more intense as their hands explored each other's exposed skin, sending sensations that would not be ignored.

'Is this ok?' Naomi suddenly asked quietly into their kiss. 'I mean here.'

Emily was in no mood to slow down, her lips possessing Naomi's, her tongue tasting her mouth, as she began to press her body against hers. 'Naomi,' she murmured, longingly, 'I've been dreaming of this for _months_.'

'I know, but…' began Naomi again, though her words melted into nothing as she felt the buttons of her jeans giving way to Emily's dexterous fingers.

'What the _fuck…_?' came a sudden scream from the doorway and Naomi froze in horror. Emily paused, calmly taking her mouth off Naomi's, but not turning round.

'Erm, Katie,' she said, levelly. 'Now's not really a good time.'

'It looks as if it's a good time for _somebody_!' exploded Katie,

'Yeah, well,' said Emily, 'for once it's not you. So could you just fuck off for a while? Thanks.'

It wasn't often that Katie Fitch was lost for words, but on this occasion she was. Although she stood in the doorway and gaped for a full five seconds before her sister returned to what she had very obviously been doing in the moments just before their bedroom door had been flung open, no words formed themselves. So Katie had little choice but to stagger backwards onto the landing and close the door on a scene that she really wished she hadn't witnessed at all.

She had to admit, though, that Emily had a point. Katie had had probably more than her fair share of romance and some of it blatantly under the gaze of her twin. Still, it was a shock to see that finally her freaky sister was getting some too. Despite that, Katie couldn't suppress a little smile that began to curl itself around the edges of her lips. About fucking time, she thought.


	9. Chapter 9

The summer storm continued to beat relentlessly against the plastic sides of the bus shelter. Naomi wrapped her coat even more tightly around Emily's back and shoulders, overlapping the two halves of the zip and squeezing Emily's front closely against her own. Two small kisses pressed into her skin as Emily settled her head into the curve of Naomi's neck and Naomi grinned in spite of the swirling wind and hammering rain around them.

Thanks to the weather, the street on the bus route close to Emily's house was empty. Just a solitary old woman perched on one of the folding seats of the shelter, pretending not to fix the couple, which she could clearly see consisted of, yes, two girls cocooned together in one waterproof, with a curious, piercing stare. She started and looked away as the tall blonde girl turned and caught her eye, shooting a menacing glare in her general direction.

Naomi tutted and deliberately turned herself and the Emily that was attached to her to face the corner of the street where the bus should have appeared ten minutes before.

'I feel a bit sorry for Katie.' Emily's muffled voice came from somewhere under Naomi's chin as her red head peeped out from inside the coat.

'Why do you feel sorry for _her_?' Naomi asked irritably, looking down. 'It's not as if she's ever worried about _you_ catching _her_ at it, is it? '

Emily laughed and shook her head. 'I suppose not, no.'

'It's us I feel sorry for,' Naomi continued, in a mock wounded tone. 'Seeing Katie standing at the door is enough to put anyone off.'

'I notice you got over it pretty quickly,' said Emily, raising an eyebrow and looking up at Naomi.

'Well, _obviously_. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction,' Naomi replied, dropping a kiss onto Emily's smiling mouth. 'She's had more than enough of that.'

They both giggled until they heard the old woman shuffle on the plastic seat behind them and rustle her shopping bags pointedly. Naomi rolled her eyes and gave an impatient sigh as she peered into the dampness. 'Where's the fucking bus? It should have been here ages ago.'

Emily looked a long way from impatient though, and felt even further from it. She smiled contentedly as she tightened her arms around Naomi's waist inside the coat and fitted her body to Naomi's. She felt Naomi's heart pulsing and her own with it, and sensed their breathing beginning to fall into a rhythm too. The bus could be as late as it liked, she thought, just as long as she could stand here like this, in the rain, sharing every breath, every heartbeat with Naomi.

At last the bus did arrive though. Emily reluctantly unwrapped herself from both Naomi and the coat and they boarded it quickly, trying to avoid the rain and the old woman's disapproving glances. Most of the seats were already taken but they spotted one near the back and dropped into it, Emily with her overnight bag on her lap, just as the bus lurched off through the quiet streets.

After a few minutes, Emily reached across Naomi with the hand that wasn't being held to press her finger against the rain-spattered window. 'Funny to think that's where we were this time yesterday,' she said, as the bus sped past the familiar red-brick blocks of their college. 'It seems ages ago.'

'Not quite this time yesterday,' said Naomi, twisting their clasped hands so she could check the face of her watch. 'It's only seven. I was still sitting on my bed in my underwear wondering what I was going to do with my evening.'

Emily gave her a quizzical look. 'So you hadn't decided?' she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice. 'You might not have gone?'

Naomi smiled shyly. 'I was always going to _go_, Ems,' she said reassuringly. 'I just had a bit of a hard time convincing myself that I could do what I wanted to do, you know, in front of everyone.'

Emily nodded. 'Nothing's easy in front of everyone, is it?' she asked, a cheeky expression suddenly spreading across her face as she took a swift look around the packed bus, its windows misted up with the warm breath of thirty or so passengers, before moving her finger from the window to Naomi's cheek, turning her face towards hers and planting an enthusiastic kiss full on her lips.

Naomi's eyebrows raised in shock as Emily pulled away, smirking. 'Emily!' she whispered sharply, before a matching smirk began to curl at the edges of her own mouth. 'Are you trying to prove something here?'

'What do _you_ think?' asked Emily in reply, grinning naughtily and leaning in for more of the same.

Naomi jerked her head back, bit her bottom lip and looked around hesitantly. Although a few of their fellow bus passengers hastily looked away when they felt Naomi's gaze on them, the rest were seemingly oblivious and in that instant she came to the realisation that she really didn't give a fuck what any of them thought anyway. Eagerly, she brought her mouth forward to meet Emily's in a wicked smile of a kiss and, as they broke away, was secretly quite pleased to feel Emily's hand travelling surreptitiously across her knee and flattening to stroke the thigh of her jeans under cover of the bag that rested on Emily's lap.

Overtaken by bravery and spurred on by the glint in Emily's eye that she always found impossible to resist, Naomi crept her own hand under the bag and began to smooth her fingertips up and down the inside of Emily's thigh. They stifled their giggles and did their best to look in opposite directions as the bus made its bumpy way through the streets and the rain hammered against the condensation-streaked windows.

After a few miles of very badly surfaced suburban roads, they suddenly spotted the corner of Naomi's street coming into view. Emily grabbed her bag and the pair rushed to clamber to their feet and make their way to the doors at the front of the bus in time to get off at the right stop. It was only then that they spotted the huge, round, rear-view mirror just above the driver's head.

'You two have a good night now,' said the driver, laughing and giving a wink to both of them as he slid open the doors.

'Don't worry,' called Emily over her shoulder as they jumped down the steps to the pavement and she grabbed hold of Naomi's hand. 'We will.'


End file.
